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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. land — a country
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com